Beautiful
by Alliecallienip
Summary: *grins evilly* Every Angel needs a pet, right, Tess?


DISCLAIMER: Tess, Monica, and Andrew do not belong to me. They REALLY   
belong to Martha Williamson and Moon Water Productions. No money is being   
made of this piece of writing.  
  
  
  
"Aw, will you looky here." Tess peered into the cage of a bright yellow   
canary, who was perched on a small stick. The little fellow was singing his   
heart out, filling the large pet shop with a beautiful melody. His voice   
was high and clear; his song true. "That's God's song," Tess said   
self-confidently. "The Lord just leaned down and whispered the tune into   
his heart." She tapped the wire of the cage and smiled delightedly when the   
small bird hopped over to the side nearest the angel and gave a little bow   
in her direction. "Well, will you look at that," Tess said, chuckling.   
"He's a gentleman." Finally realizing that neither Monica nor Andrew was   
there to listen to her, she clucked her tongue in mock disgust and   
reluctantly left the canary's cage to find them.  
  
She found Andrew by the kitten cage, an enchanted look on his handsome   
features. He was crouched down, his fingers through the wire, straining to   
get just one more touch of the soft fur.  
  
A small ginger kitten, no more than eight weeks old, stood on its wobbling   
feet and tripped over its own feet, making its way to the side of the cage   
nearest the angel of death. Purring, it brushed against the fingers poked   
through its prison. Andrew let out a soft sigh, full of wonderment and   
contentment. "Tess," he whispered, "Isn't he beautiful?"  
  
She gave him a sideways glance. "He's cute," she said. "Not beautiful.   
Puppies and kittens are cute. Now, if you want to see something   
*beautiful*, come with me." She put a hand in his and helped him to stand   
from where he had been crouched. "Do you know where Monica is?" she asked.   
"I wanna show her this thing of beauty as well. She could stand to take one   
or two voice lessons from him," she grumbled good-naturedly. Andrew knew   
that beneath all the teasing, Tess felt a real love for the tone-deaf,   
bare-footed, hat-sporting, coffee-drinking Irish angel.  
  
He gave a shrug. " I don't know. I think she said something about the   
reptile area." He started to laugh as Tess gave a visible shudder.  
  
"You - ah - you go get her for me. I'll stay right here." The elder angel   
planted her feet in an obvious dislike for snakes, lizards, and turtles of   
all kinds.  
  
Still laughing, the angel of death walked to the reptile section of the   
store, where he found Monica staring in fascination into the cage of a   
Burmese python. He waited for a moment, but she didn't seem to notice him.   
She had one palm on the glass aquarium's side, and was murmuring softly to   
the snake. Andrew strained to hear her muffled words.  
  
"As, is that so?" she was whispering. "Well, *I* think that you're   
beautiful." She offered a sunny smile to the python.  
  
Andrew couldn't help chuckling as he remembered the conversation between him   
and his supervisor. He highly doubted that the snake would fall into Tess's   
'beautiful' category.  
  
Startled from his laugh, Monica whirled, a frightened look on her face.   
Realizing that it was only Andrew, she gave him a playful slap. He   
pretended to be hurt, forging pain. Finally the puzzled expression on her   
face caused him to crack up totally. "You - you're talking to a snake -" he   
gasped out.  
  
She put her hands on her hips. "And what exactly is wrong with that?" she   
asked haughtily. "God made all creatures - not just canaries and kittens."  
  
Andrew stared at her in shock. "How did you -" he started. Then he   
stopped, holding his hands up in defeat. "I don't want to know." He shook   
his head as if to say, 'I give up.'  
  
Monica smiled mischievously. "Do y' think that Tess would let me get her?"   
She gestured to the snake. Her eyes were shining in excitement. "I'd love   
to have a pet of my own - Tess has Dawg..." She let her voice trail off.   
Andrew took that moment to take a good look at her.  
  
She was wearing a long skirt, sky-blue in color, with small daisies spread   
across it. Her top was a plain white blouse, with a small breast pocket.   
Her hair was loose, falling across her shoulders in a cascade of softness.   
Tho' she had wanted to go barefoot, her feet with covered by flat white   
sandals by Tess's insistence. Her eyes were filled with thrill and   
wistifulness as she stared into the snake's cage. Andrew smiled slightly.  
  
"Monica - do you really think that Tess would -" He hesitated. The word   
'like' wouldn't work. "Do you think that Tess would be able to STAND it?"  
  
Monica looked indignant. "Why not?" she asked. "And besides, it's a HER,   
not an IT."  
  
"Ex*cuse* me," Andrew shot back. They both grinned as a janitor passed them   
and mumbled something about a 'lover's quarrel'. Putting his arm through   
hers, Andrew admitted, "She may get used to it..." At Monica's hopeful look,   
however, he added, "But don't count on being able to get it in the first   
place." She nodded solemnly.  
  
"I won't," she said seriously. "Just as long as I have even the slightest   
chance..."  
  
Andrew laughed. "Well, maybe a *slight* chance," he teased. "After all,   
you're her 'Angel Girl'."  
  
"*And* Miss Wings, Angel Boy," she corrected him. "Of course, that's only   
when she's angry or disappointed with me." A slight frown creased the   
pretty angel's forehead.  
  
"Come on." Andrew steered Monica towards the bird section where Tess was   
waiting impatiently. She let out a laugh when she saw Tess's expression.  
  
"Where were you two?" she snapped.  
  
Eager to head off an argument, Andrew quickly ignored the question and asked   
"Is that what you wanted to show us?" He pointed to the canary cage.  
  
The supervising angel's expression softened. "Yeah." She watched as the   
little bird began to sing, then sighed in bliss. "Isn't he beautiful?"   
Monica and Andrew nodded. Andrew's nod was solemn; Monica's was very fast   
and agreeing.  
  
"Oh yes, Tess," she bubbled. "It's beautiful - and it sings so well!" She   
gave a bright smile to her friend, who looked at her suspiciously. Monica   
ignored her expression, and just smiled hopefully.  
  
Tess turned to Andrew. "What does she want?" she demanded. "What is it?   
Tell me!"  
  
He cleared his throat her nervously. "Why - why don't you ask her," he   
suggested weakly. "I - I'm sure that she would be happy to tell you."  
  
Tess faced Monica, not saying a word. She didn't have to. The look on her   
face said it all. Monica gulped, opened her mouth, and hoped for the best.   
"Tess - you had a pet once - Dawg - remember - and - well - I was wondering   
- if I could have one - too," she finished lamely.  
  
"What kind?" Monica looked at Andrew, encouraged. At least she hadn't said   
no right away.  
  
"Just a - a Burmese python," she mumbled. "Just a baby."  
  
"A *what*?"  
  
Monica took a deep breath. "A Burmese Python."  
  
Tess shot her a Look that said, do you hate coffee? "Are you kidding? No.   
No. No way." she emphasized. "No way in heaven or on Earth."  
  
"Aw, come on, Tess," Monica pleaded. "It's just a little thing - I could   
take care of it - you had a dog once -" She looked to Andrew for help, who   
raised his hands and said  
  
"No. Do NOT get me involved with this."  
  
Monica sighed. This would be a battle that she fought on her own. She   
turned back to face Tess. "I would take good care of it - and I'd never let   
it get loose - you'd never have to touch it - oh, PLEASE Tess?" The   
desperation in her voice caused her supervisor to look at her more closely.  
  
"Well -"  
  
Monica got down on her knees - literally - and clasped her hands in front of   
her. "Please, Tess," she begged.  
  
Tess looked down. How could she say no to that face? "I suppose," she said   
reluctantly. "But don't get it NEAR me."  
  
Monica scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around her supervisor.   
"Thank you, thank you!" she cried. "You won't regret it - maybe you'll   
even learn to like her!" Tess hugged her friend, but sincerely doubted it.   
Andrew stared in disbelief at the duo with his mouth dropped open.  
  
"How did you -" he started. The he shook his head slowly. "My goodness,"   
he said under his breath. "She's got Tess wrapped around her little   
finger."  
  
Tess turned to him and said sharply, "She does not. I just happen to - want   
to give her a present."  
  
Monica turned around, a grin spitting her face. "I'm going to buy her now,"   
she said breathlessly. "I'll be right back."  
  
"Lord, what did I get myself into?" Tess prayed under her breath.  
  
In only 5 minutes Monica was back, a four-foot long snake wrapped around her   
shoulders. "Her name is Rebekah," she said happily. "Y' can pet her; she's   
very friendly." The snake raised its head and flicked out its tongue in   
response.  
  
"Hello, Rebekah," Andrew said hesitantly, cautiously stroking her scaly   
back.  
  
Tess faced away. "I will not touch that thing," she said. Sighing, she   
started to walk away, leaving Monica and Andrew behind. "I'm getting in the   
car."  
  
Laughing, Monica and Andrew followed. "She really isn't that bad once you   
get to know her," Monica said innocently. She held out the snake's head   
within reaching distance for Tess. She shrunk away.  
  
"Get that thing away from me!" she shrieked. Monica obliged quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, trying desperately to hold back the laughter.  
  
Tess shuddered. "Yuck," she muttered under her breath. "I HATE   
snakes....every one of 'em. They're disgusting, nasty things. And what   
does Monica want? A PYTHON! 'Just a baby' she says. 'You had a dog'."  
  
All of a sudden, the angelic trio and company found themselves in the   
Cadillac: Tess in the driver's seat, Andrew in the passenger seat, and   
Monica and Rebekah in the back - WAY back. They were positioned as far away   
from the driver as possible. Monica gave out a shout of laughter and said   
good-naturedly  
  
"You'll learn t'love her, Tess. No doubt of that."  
  
Tess cast her a skeptical glance in the rearview mirror. "Not in this   
life," she said matter-of-factly.  
  
"But you only have one life," Monica said innocently.  
  
Tess groaned, Andrew laughed, and Monica looked at her companions in   
confusion about what she had said that was so funny. She sighed. "Well,   
Rebekah," she whispered to the snake. "Welcome to your new life with us."  
  
A slightly jealous dove flew out of nowhere and perched on Monica's   
shoulder, cooling loudly to make its presence know. "Ah, don't ya worry, I   
still love ya," she said, reaching up to pet its head. The dove cooed   
again, this time in contentment, and flew into the sky.  
  
Rebekah flicked her tongue out and seemed to fix her gaze on her mistress.   
"We'll be very happy together," the angel comforted her pet. "Trust me."  
  
Monica closed her eyes and silently thanked her Lord for all the blessings   
in her life. Little did she know that both Andrew and Tess were sending up   
very similar prayers.  
  
"Thank You, Father," all thought. Simultaneously, they sighed, looked at   
each other, and laughed.  
  
Rebekah slithered around Monica's shoulders, her eyes gleaming with   
intelligence and mischief. Tho she didn't know it yet, Monica had picked   
out the most mischievous animal out of the reptile section. Rebekah flicked   
her tongue out in anticipation of the future. None of the angelic trio had   
any idea what they'd gotten themselves into this time.... 


End file.
